New Delhi: For decades, Jantar Mantar Road served as Delhi's iconic address of dissent -- becoming synonymous with vociferous protests and silent crusades. The stretch is eponymously named after the 18th-century astronomical observatory, which carries an equally fascinating history.
Often described as India's veritable demonstration square, the protest site was located along the leafy Jantar Mantar Road -- lined with various British-era bungalows -- leading to the popular heritage site in central Delhi, which is under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
In a standing order issued on October 11, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar de-notified Jantar Mantar Road as a designated protest site, naming Ramlila Maidan (Central Delhi), Burari Ground (North Delhi) and CBD Ground (East Delhi) as three new venues for large demonstrations.
After restrictions on demonstrations at the Boat Club site adjoining the India Gate lawns, Jantar Mantar emerged as an alternative site by 1993.
The road, and thus the protest site, carries the name of the astronomical observatory, which was built by Sawai Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur in 1724.
For more than three centuries, it has stood as both an architectural heritage of India and a symbol of an engineering feat.
Some of the key instruments located in its sprawling campus are -- Samrat Yantra: A giant triangular sundial, with a gnomon aligned to the Earth's axis; Jai Prakash: Two sunken hemispheres to track the Sun and stars; Ram Yantra: Twin circular buildings for measuring horizontal and vertical angles; and Misra Yantra: A combo-instrument that tells time across continents and tracks the Sun’s movement into Cancer, according to the ASI.
"A passionate astronomer and founder of Jaipur, Sawai Jai Singh II studied both Eastern and Western systems before designing these giant instruments at Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi and Mathura, choosing solid masonry over fragile metals for greater precision. The observatory at Delhi is made up of brick rubble and lime plaster, which has seen many careful restorations without losing its original soul," the ASI earlier said.
Each structure is a testament to India's deep legacy of scientific, astronomical and mathematical genius.
The iconic Delhi landmark sits in a sprawling compound located in the heart of the city and faces Parliament Street on one side.
On Saturday, while a massive security deployment had turned central Delhi virtually into a citadel and rendered the Jantar Mantar protest site out of bounds for people, the monumental site of Jantar Mantar was "officially open" to visitors, sources earlier said.
One of the historic occupants of this historic stretch is 7, Jantar Mantar Road -- an elegant British-era bungalow in the heart of Delhi -- not an ordinary address, as it has earlier served as the headquarters of the Indian National Congress (INC) and currently also houses a library run by an old trust.
The two-storey structure located on Jantar Mantar Road is endowed with a striking architectural design and has also been a silent witness to countless public protests and marathon demonstrations held on the road over the past few decades.
The bungalow's architectural design stands out as the windows punctuating the facade on both floors are flanked by slender columns, lending the building a graceful look.